Duncan only fell for Liberty after spending lots of time with her and his affection for her grew.He was not the type to fall in love at first sight and his kind of love took time.As long as Rhea was given a chance, she felt Duncan would realize that she was better than Liberty and he would choose her instead.By the time they were done discussing business, it was time for a meal.Rhea invited Duncan to eat together.He politely declined. “It’s not convenient for me to move around at the moment. I eat all my meals at the company cafeteria unless I’m meeting my friends.”“Alright, then. When you’ve recovered, I’ll treat you to a meal.” Rhea did not press further, afraid that she would seem too deliberate and put him off, but also afraid that Duncan would pick up on her intent and immediately draw the line with her, which might cost her the business deal too.Duncan rarely came into contact with young, unmarried women.Even if there were ladies among the upper ranks of the other
Owen hummed in acknowledgment. “I’m only talking about this to you. When someone who normally wears suits suddenly turns up in a beautiful dress, they’re definitely trying to attract someone’s attention, or they’ve started dating. Women care about appearances, after all.”Duncan turned to give Owen a look, smiling as he said, “You understand women pretty well, don’t you?”“Mr. Lewis, I have a wife and two children. Of course, I understand women. If you want to win Ms. Hunt’s favor, feel free to take lessons from me.”“I didn’t think about that. If I’d thought of it earlier, I’d be married by now,” Duncan joked. “I don’t really understand what makes women happy, but I know I have to accept everything about someone if I love her.“If I’m sincere and true, she’ll feel it. Compared to giving her all sorts of expensive gifts, I think helping her as soon as she needs it and rushing to her side right away when she runs into trouble—companionship—will move her more than gifts will.”Liber
Of course, if anyone stepped on Duncan’s tail, he would bite.They were not that stupid.When they saw Duncan arrive, they greeted him.The cafeteria crew had Duncan’s lunch prepared and set it aside on one of the tables.Duncan ate with a few executives from the upper management. He chatted with them as they ate, without putting on the airs of a boss. It was lunchtime and none of them wanted to talk about work. Duncan said they had to relax when it was not work hours so they would not be overstressed.While Duncan was eating with his employees, Zachary was having lunch with his beloved wife at Wiltspoon Hotel.After lunch, they would nap in the presidential suite before heading back to work at their own offices.Serenity had just arrived at her company when the security guard on duty, Wilbur, walked up to her car and said, “Ms. Hunt, a certain Ms. Doyle is here to see you. Ms. Stone has already invited her in to wait for you.”Ms. Doyle?Once the car came to a stop, Serenit
“I know. Wilbur told me as soon as I got here.”Helen continued in a whisper, “That Ms. Doyle doesn’t look simple. We don’t know which company she works at. When Ms. Stone asked her, she didn’t answer. She kept mum when asked where she was from either. Ms. Stone thinks she might be your love rival. You have to be mentally prepared, Ms. Hunt.”Serenity could not help but laugh. “Don’t assume every young lady who comes looking for me is my love rival. If she was, why would Elisa let her in?”Helen replied, “That’s because she doesn’t know for sure, we just suspect so. Either way, be careful, Ms. Hunt.”Mr. Zachary was such an outstanding man that he could attract admirers at any moment. Ms. Hunt might have love rivals popping up from time to time.In Ms. Hunt’s own words, a love rival might pop up even in her old age.“Alright, I’ll be careful, though it doesn’t matter how careful I am if they really want to take Zachary from me. They’ll come looking for me even if I lock Zachary u
Elisa lingered and later excused herself to her office.She was not worried about Serenity getting bullied anyway. Even in the past, Serenity was not one to take things lying down, much less now, and she could defend herself on top of that.When Helen was done serving them each a cup of tea, Serenity dismissed her with a wave.Once Helen left, Serenity looked at Imogen and smiled. “You can tell me why you’re here now.”Imogen pursed her lips before saying, “I just want to meet and get to know you, Ms. Hunt.”Serenity raised an eyebrow. Meet her and get to know her? She was not a celebrity, and neither did she have fans.Imogen blushed a little and Serenity suddenly understood.Tentatively, she asked Imogen, “Are you here for one of the York brothers? Which one? Dylan, Peter, or Austin?”She only listed the eligible ones. Callum was already married and Kevin was on holiday with Hayden at the moment. They were both taken. As for the rest, she had no clue who their other halves
Did Imogen come to Serenity to obtain information on Dylan? “What’s going on between you and Dylan now?” Serenity asked. After a short silence, Imogen answered, “I don’t know either. I think he’s pursuing me after we got to know each other, but he seems distant and insincere at the same time.“Whenever I thought he wasn’t interested in me and when I was about to forget him, he would give me flowers and items I liked, treat me to meals, and even solve my work issues.“However, he would disappear the moment I tried to repay him. He wouldn’t answer his phone or reply to my messages. I don’t even know where he lives.“I only found out he was a young lad of the Yorks after getting someone to investigate his name.”Serenity was speechless. ‘What the hell was Dylan doing?’He did not want to pursue Imogen, yet he forced himself to do so to obey Grandma May’s wishes. Once Imogen started having hints of feelings for him, he would take a step back. Serenity guessed Dylan must have f
Dylan was filial to his nana and respectful of Zachary. Whenever he had a problem, he would consult Zachary instead of his biological brother most of the time. As Zachary was a doting husband, he would most likely share his brothers' concerns with Serenity. That was why Imogen took the risk of coming to Serenity abruptly. Serenity’s employees even suspected she was Serenity’s love rival. Even Serenity must have had her suspicions as well because she only asked her secretary to serve fruits to go with the tea after finding out Imogen’s purpose for visiting.Imogen was not mad about Serenity’s difference in treatment. She would have done the same if she were in Serenity’s shoes. If a love rival came to her, she would serve a cup of tea at most. There was no way she would serve desserts or fruits. After all, meeting a love rival would be infuriating. Therefore, Imogen found Serenity authentic for doing what she did. Imogen had tried to look into the York family. If she
Imogen gave Serenity her name card. She said, “This is my card. There’s my contact on it. Please give me a call if you have news of Dylan. I’ll be in Wiltspoon for a week.”Serenity accepted the card and asked out of concern, “Where are you staying now?”“Wiltspoon Hotel. Your family’s hotel.”Serenity smiled. “Wiltspoon Hotel is one of the best hotels here. You don’t have to worry about a thing throughout your stay. The security is great. “I’ll make a call later. All your expenses during your stay will be on me.”Imogen quickly replied, “Thank you, Ms. Hunt, but there’s no need to do that. I can afford a hotel room.”Having been born into a wealthy family, money was the least of her concerns. “I know, but you’re a guest. Please let me be your host. If you want to visit somewhere, just let me know. I’ll accompany you and be your tour guide if I’m free.“If I’m unavailable, I’ll assign someone to bring you around and taste the best food in Wiltspoon.“There aren’t many touris
When Austin reached the door, he stopped and turned to say, “Ms. Isabella, I only care about my future wife. Other young women are simply strangers to me.“I’m polite to other women when I need to be. If they’re unimportant, I’ll ignore them. Even if that woman is my boss, I won’t cross any lines. If I do, there must be a reason behind it.“Get some rest, Ms. Isabella. You might have a headache when you wake up tomorrow. I’ll prepare a warm honey drink for you in the morning.”After speaking, Austin left. Isabella turned to look at where he last stood. What did his words mean?He said he only cared about his future wife.Aside from this lady, he would not step out of line with any other young woman, even if she were his boss. What did he mean by crossing lines?Was it showing concern? Did he mean that if his boss was a young woman but not his fiancée, he would simply do what was required of him without any personal feelings involved? Was that what he meant?If so, was
Isabella was cold sometimes, but that was not her true personality. She was a reasonable person. Austin was not worried that he would be mistreated as a live-in son-in-law. “Ms. Isabella.”Isabella looked toward him and waited for him to speak. He asked, “This may be abrupt, but may I ask what your ideal type is?”Isabella was stunned. Why did the question come to her? What was the type of man she liked?‘Someone like Austin,’ she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “I like men who are capable, responsible, and have correct values. Even if his family isn’t as financially well-off as mine, I don’t mind so long as he’s honest, competent, and sincere about his feelings for me.“Of course, it’ll be great if we have the same social status. That way, we’ll have similar perspectives and more common topics. If we get married, we’ll be joining forces instead of it being a one-way financial aid.”“Although you can accept someone who isn’t from a similar family backgrou
After a moment of silence, Isabella said, “It’s okay. I know I was forcing it.”There was no point in asking Austin if he did not want to reveal anything. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so without her asking. However, her curiosity spiked with his silence. She was eager to know who his fiancée was. He was already so protective of his fiancée even though he had not met her before. It made Isabella jealous. It was her first time feeling that kind of emotion throughout her life. Although it was not a strong feeling, she still felt it. “You weren’t forcing me to tell you. You were simply curious. Most people have a curious side. It’s only natural for you to be inquisitive as well.”Austin said gently, “It’s not just you. Those who knew that my nana had chosen fiancées for my brothers and me were also curious about who the ladies were.“To be honest, we didn’t even know Nana had been choosing fiancées for us since a few years ago until she handed their pictures to us
“You can drink it now. It’ll turn cold if left aside for longer.”Isabella took the ginger ale and drank it with elegance. She put it down after drinking half of it. “I’m drunk, but only slightly. I can walk, and my brain is still alert. I know what I’m doing and saying.“I’ve had enough ginger ale.”She did not want to consume too much liquid late at night. “Which family is your fiancée from, Austin? Where is she? Do you mind telling me?”Isabella was insistent on getting answers. Austin had never told her when she had asked him about it before. He kept saying he would focus on working and that he was not in a rush to get married. After all, he was only in his twenties; Zachary only got married at thirty years old. If he was unsuccessful in wooing his fiancée that year, he did not mind waiting for a few more years. Isabella suddenly felt jealous of Austin’s fiancée, having had his heart without even doing anything. She wondered what Austin’s fiancée had done to cat
Austin stared into Isabella’s eyes. He could detect some feelings in her gaze, but it was not obvious enough. What she felt for him was still mostly admiration. It was not the right time for him to confess yet. He would continue to wait. “You’re the best and most outstanding lady in my heart, Ms. Isabella. I admire you more.”Austin added gently, “You give off a strict and cold aura sometimes, but you’re always a nice person in my eyes.”Isabella had treated him well ever since he became her private chef. It only got better after she discovered he was a young master of the Yorks. Austin believed her when she said she viewed him as a friend because her actions reflected it as well. However, he was not content with being just friends. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to trust him and love him forever. He would also reciprocate her feelings and trust. Isabella smiled. “Even my parents are scared and avoid me when I’m in a serious mode. Louis and Phillip w
Austin responded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Edith. I’ll take good care of Ms. Isabella.”Edith had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. The hidden meaning in her cousin’s words was not lost on Isabella, but she did not comment on it.She allowed Austin to accompany her into the house. The lights were still on inside, but the first floor was empty. Everyone else had already gone to bed.Since Isabella had not returned yet, the housekeeper had left the lights on for her.The house was warm, so once inside, Isabella took off Austin’s coat and handed it back to him.Austin accepted the coat and followed her to the sofa. After she had sat down, he asked gently, “Ms. Isabella, would you like some ginger ale for a hangover remedy?”Isabella rubbed her temples and said, “Yes, please. I don’t want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”Austin immediately went to prepare it for her.Isabella leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. After some time, she heard Austin’s
Isabella’s bodyguard had only called out to her, not daring to touch her, so she had not woken up. However, when Austin gently patted her face and called her, she woke up almost immediately. When she opened her eyes and saw Austin’s handsome face, Isabella was momentarily dazed, thinking she was dreaming about him.She had actually dreamed about Austin. Had she developed feelings for him? If she had not, why would she dream about him? In all her life, this was the first time she had dreamed about a man. Isabella wanted to touch Austin’s face, but as she raised her hand, she realized she was not dreaming.Austin was real. She could smell the fresh scent on him because they were so close.He had showered.Isabella quietly lowered her hand, hoping Austin had not noticed her earlier intention, lest he misunderstood.“Ms. Isabella,” Austin’s warm and pleasant voice reached her ears, making her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep. With him around, she felt safe and secure.
Hunter had neither money nor power. What could he possibly use to save his sons?“Dad, go home. When the trial starts, we’ll send someone to pick you up so you can attend and observe.”Hunter stood up angrily and stormed off.After he left, Ellie asked Ava, “Are we really not going to do anything? My child is still young. Having a father in prison will always be a stain on their life.”“What can we do? Even if we wanted to save them, we don’t have the means. We know what Caroline is like. She’s not going to let this go lightly this time,” Ava replied. “Anyway, think about last year, when they were caught cheating. How did they treat us then?”Remembering the events from last year, Ellie said, “Let them serve a few years in prison, then. Ava, Caroline is in the hospital. Should we go visit her?”“We should. Let’s go tomorrow. We’ll call Emma and visit Caroline together. The Fisher family is full of terrible people, but Caroline still has some conscience. She’s always been kind t
Hunter was momentarily speechless. He did not have much money. When Belinda was alive, he never had more than five hundred dollars on him. After his children grew up, he secretly asked them for money. During that time, he had money to spend freely, living a lavish life outside.However, all that money had been spent. He had no savings, mainly because he was used to spending extravagantly.He had been unable to save money. He did not own any shops or properties either; Belinda had kept him on a tight leash.The house in their hometown had been built with Belinda’s money, but it was not under his name. It was under his three sons’ names.After Belinda’s death, his sons supported him. Each son gave him over a hundred thousand dollars a month for living expenses.Combined, that was several hundred thousand dollars a month, allowing him to live comfortably in Ashford. He had managed to save a little, but not much, just over a million dollars in total. Hiring the best lawyers for h